1887

Abstract

Summary

We apply the mechanically driven approach to fracture modelling of to two fractured outcrops, Nash Point in South Wales and Robin Hood’s Bay in NE England. We show that the local stress field developed around larger faults is a key control on the geometry of the fractures, along with layer thickness, fracture propagation rate and layer stiffness. We can use this information to predict fracture anisotropy and connectivity.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.2020622015
2020-02-11
2024-04-25
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Bai, T., Pollard, D.D. and Gao, H.
    [2000] Explanation for fracture spacing in layered materials.Nature, 403, 753–756.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Bourne, S.J. and Willemse, E.J.M.
    [2001] Elastic stress control on the pattern of tensile fracturing around a small fault network at Nash Point, UK.Journal of Structural Geology, 23(11), 1753–1770.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Olson, J.E.
    [2004] Predicting fracture swarms – the influence of subcritical crack growth and the crack-tip process zone on joint spacing in rock. In: Cosgrove, J.W. and Engelder, T. (Eds.) The Initiation, Propagation and Arrest of Joints and Other Fractures. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 231, 73–87
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Rawnsley, K.D., Rives, T., Pettit, J.-P., Hencher, S.R. and Lumsden, A.C.
    [1992] Joint development in perturbed stress fields near faults.Journal of Structural Geology, 14(8–9), 939–951.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Welch, M.J., Souque, C., Davies, R.K. and Knipe, R.J.
    [2015] Using mechanical models to investigate the controls on fracture geometry and distribution in chalk.Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 406, 281–309.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Welch, M., Lüthje, M and Glad, A.
    [2019] Influence of fracture nucleation and propagation rates on fracture geometry: Insights from geomechanical modelling.Petroleum Geoscience, https://doi.org/10.1144/petgeo2018-161.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Wu, H. and Pollard, D.D.
    [1995] An experimental study of the relationship between joint spacing and layer thickness.Journal of Structural Geology, 17(6), 887–905.
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.2020622015
Loading
/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.2020622015
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error